90% of Ethiopia's Tea Production Used for Domestic Consumption

The Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority announced that 90% of the tea produced in the country is consumed domestically, with only 10% exported. According to Fikadu Deferes, the authority's executive for coffee, tea, and spice development, Ethiopia has historically earned an average of 1.86 million USD from tea exports. For the current fiscal year, the target is to increase production to 14,000 tons and generate 2 million USD in revenue. Despite favorable land and weather conditions, productivity remains low, prompting the government to expand tea cultivation coverage from 6,396 hectares to 10,628 hectares. Additionally, 2,670 hectares of new tea seedlings have been planted in the Oromia and Southwest Ethiopia regions.